Large Aberration, Chaotic Evil
Armor Class 24 (natural armor)
Hit Points 1080 (80d10 + 640)
Speed 40 ft., fly 60 ft.
STR
19 (+4)
DEX
16 (+3)
CON
26 (+8)
INT
30 (+10)
WIS
30 (+10)
CHA
30 (+10)
Saving Throws CON +17, INT +19, WIS +19, CHA +19
Skills Arcana +19, Deception +19, History +19, Intimidation +19, Perception +28, Persuasion +19, Religion +19
Damage Resistances Acid, Cold, Necrotic
Damage Immunities Poison, Psychic, Thunder; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
Senses Blindsight 60 ft., Truesight 240 ft., Passive Perception 38
Languages Deep Speech, telepathy 500 feet
Challenge 30 (155,000 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +9
Traits

Cosmic Magic. Hastur is unaffected by an antimagic field spell or other effects that would prevent it from casting spells and any ability check made to identify a spell Hastur casts automatically fails. In addition, when Hastur casts a spell that targets one creature, it can target a total of three creatures with that spell instead.

Eldritch Tentacles. The area within 30 feet of Hastur is covered with writhing, slimy tentacles and counts as difficult terrain. Each creature of Hastur's choice that starts its turn within that area or enters it the first time on a turn must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw or take 18 (4d8) bludgeoning damage and be restrained by the tentacles. A creature that starts its turn while already restrained by the tentacles takes 9 (2d8) acid damage and 9 (2d8) cold damage instead. When Hastur moves, creatures restrained by its tentacles move with it.

A restrained creature can use its action to make a DC 20 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. On a success, it frees itself.

When a creature drops to  0 hit points while restrained by the tentacles, it dies. Its soul is ripped from its body and travels to Carcosa, while its body melts away and is transformed into a gibbering mouther under Hastur's control. If a creature dies in this way, it cannot be brought back to life by any means except for a wish spell.

Fulvous Dreams. Hastur can cast the dream spell on a creature that has seen a Yellow Sign before and failed its saving throw, even if that creature is on a different plane of existence. 

When it does so, that creature suffers horrible nightmares tinted with a nauseating yellow color and if it fails its saving throw against the spell, it suffers from a madness in addition to the spell's normal effects. While under the effect of this madness, it has disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks and on Constitution saving throws made to keep concentration on a spell, and it is compelled to seek out the next active Yellow Sign, devoting all its actions and ressources to this newfound endeavour.

Once the creature sees the next active Yellow Sign, the madness immediately ends and the sign's effects, if any, are applied.

Immortality. When Hastur is killed, its yellow robes drop to the ground, as if whatever shape supported them suddenly ceased to exist. The robes themselves remain inanimate on the ground, but any humanoid creature that comes into contact with them must make a DC 27 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, it is overcome by an urge to put these robes on, which requires an action to do. Once it has donned the robes, it immediately ceases to exist, its soul is sent to Carcosa, and in its place, Hastur appears again with all its hit points restored.

If the robes are not donned within the next 24 hours, they fade away, leaving behind a yellow stain. In this case, Hastur cannot manifest a physical body again until the conditions are right or until it is called forth again by its cult.

Incomprehensible. Hastur is utterly incomprehensible and alien to mortals, there exists no such way to use mental effects or magic effectively against it. Hastur automatically succeeds on any Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma saving throw.
In addition, any creature that attempts to read Hastur's thoughts or attempts to deal psychic damage to Hastur must make a DC 27 Wisdom saving throw or develop a short-term madness.

Innate Spellcasting. Hastur's spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 27, +19 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:

Legendary Resistance (5/day). If Hastur fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.

Magic Resistance. Hastur has advantage on all saving throws against spells and magical effects.

Reality-Defying Existence. If Hastur is at a point where multiple planes of existence overlap, it exists in all of these planes at the same time, can target creatures in all of these planes and when it uses an ability that creates an area of effect, it affects the same area in all of these planes. This means, if Hastur is on the Material Plane, it can target creatures in the Ethereal Plane, such as those who have cast blink or etherealness, with its spells and attacks, and its Yellow Mist extends into the Ethereal Plane as well.
In addition, Hastur is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form or send it to another plane of existence.

Actions

Multiattack. Hastur can use its Unspeakable Presence. It then casts one of its spells, uses its Yellow Mist or makes three attacks: two with its tattered robe and one with its cosmic orb.

Cosmic Orb. Hastur targets a point within 500 feet of it and hurls an orb of crushing cosmic energy at it. Each creature within 10 feet of that point must make a DC 27 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, it takes 18 (4d8) force damage and 18 (4d8) psychic damage and is knocked prone, on a success it takes half as much damage without any other effect.

Tattered Robe. Melee Spell Attack: +19 to hit, reach 30 ft. one target. Hit: 19 (2d8+10) slashing damage plus 27 (6d8) psychic damage and the target must make a DC 27 Constitution saving throw or suffer an otherworldly wound which glows with faint yellow light and causes searing pain.
A creature wounded in this way has its movement speed halved and has disadvantage on attack rolls and Constitution saving throws made to maintain concentration.
The wound lasts until it is cured by greater restoration or similar magic.

Unspeakable Appearance. Any creature of Hastur's choice that is within 120 feet of Hastur and is aware of it must make a DC 27 Wisdom saving throw or develop a short-term madness. On a success it is immune to Hastur's Unspeakable Appearance for the next minute.

Yellow Mist (Recharge 5–6). The area within 120 feet of Hastur fills with cosmic fog of nauseating yellow color, causing it to be lightly obscured. The fog is filled with incomprehensible, terrible whispers and visions from Carcosa and lingers for one minute or until it is dispersed by strong winds. As the cosmic fog spreads out, each spell in the area ends and spells of 5th level or lower cannot be cast. Hastur itself and its spells are unaffected by the Yellow Mist.

In addition, any creature that starts its turn within the fog or enters it for the first time on a turn must make a DC 27 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, it is charmed by Hastur and cannot willingly move more than 120 feet away from it. On a success, it takes 45 (12d8) psychic damage instead and suffers no other effects.

Yellow Sign (1/day). Hastur touches a solid surface and inscribes the Yellow Sign upon it. Once inscribed, the sign remains for one year, but only becomes active during certain nights when the baleful light of Carcosa shines in the night sky as a yellow star.      

While the Yellow Sign is inactive, it is invisible, but a glimpse of its magic can be detected with a detect magic spell or similar ability. If a creature senses the Yellow Sign's magic in this way, it must make a DC 27 Wisdom saving throw or develop a long-term madness.

When the Yellow Sign becomes active, it glows with yellow light. Any creature that can see the Yellow Sign must make a DC 27 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by Hastur for 24 hours. While charmed in this way, the creature obeys Hastur's will as per the dominate monster spell. Once the effect ends on a creature, it develops a long-term madness and becomes an eligible target for Hastur's Fulvous Dreams. If a charmed creature dies, Hastur can manifest physicially in the location of its corpse.

In addition, the Yellow Sign can bear one of the effects described in the symbol spell. The Yellow Sign is considered a 10th level spell for the purpose of removing it with dispel magic or similar abilities.

Bonus Actions

Reveal Visage. As a bonus action, Hastur reveals the true shape beneath its robes to one creature that can see it and is within 5 feet of him. That creature must make a DC 27 Charisma saving throw or be frightened for the next minute. While frightened in that way, it is paralyzed and its Wisdom score is reduced by 1d4 at the start of each of its turns, as the revelation is too incomprehensible, horrific and alien for its mortal mind.     
The creature dies if this reduces its Wisdom to 0. Otherwise, the reduction lasts until cured by greater restoration or similar magic.

A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. Once the effect ends for it, the creature develops an indefinite madness. In addition, if a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, it is immune to the effects of Reveal Visage for the next minute.

Reactions

Otherworldly Retribution. When a creature deals damage to Hastur, otherworldly yellow light seeps through the wound. Hastur can use its reaction to force that creature to make a DC 27 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, it must use its reaction to move into a random direction as far as its speed allows and until the end of its next turn, it has vulnerability to psychic damage.

Legendary Actions

Hastur can take 5 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. Hastur regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

Attack. Hastur makes an attack with its cosmic orb or tattered robe.

There is no Escape. Hastur makes a Wisdom (Perception) check to search for a creature that attempted to take the hide action on its last turn and moves up to half its speed. If the check is successful, the creature takes 18 (4d8) psychic damage and must make a DC 27 Wisdom saving throw or is frightened until the end of its next turn as it can feel Hastur's otherworldly gaze.

Tentacle Lash. Hastur lashes out with its Eldritch Tentacles, targeting a creature within 60 feet of it. The target must make a DC 27 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, it takes 18 (4d8) bludgeoning damage, is  restrained by the tentacle and pulled up to 30 feet straight towards Hastur.

Cast a Spell (Costs 2 Actions). Hastur casts one of its at-will spells.

Whispers of the Stars (Costs 2 Actions). All creatures of Hastur's choice that are charmed by it start hearing eerie, unsettling whispers from distant worlds, as if the stars were talking to them - or is it Hastur itself who is speaking? Each of these creatures must use its reaction to move up to its speed and to make one weapon attack against a target of Hastur's choice. If this attack hits, it deals an additional 18 (4d8) psychic damage.

Devour (Costs 3 Actions). Hastur devours the essence of all creatures restrained by its Eldritch Tentacles. Each of these creatures must make a DC 27 Charisma saving throw. On a failure, a creature takes 54 (12d8) necrotic damage and gains a level of exhaustion, on a success, it takes half as much damage and is not exhausted. Hastur regains hit points equal to the total necrotic damage dealt.

Description

Hastur is the most mysterious of the Great Old Ones. Noone knows what he truly is, some think he might be an Outer God. The entity's physical manifestation is that of a tall, vaguely humanoid-shaped figure wearing a yellow cloak, with long writhing tentacles instead of feet. Due to the yellow cloak, this manifestation is known as the King in Yellow. While some think this manifestation actually is Hastur, many scholars believe that the King in Yellow is just an avatar used by the true Hastur to manifest itself in the physical world, to appear to people - but why he does that, what he actually wants from the denizens of the physical world, that is unknown.

Hastur is said to originate from a distant, yellow-tinted world called Carcosa, where he lives at the shores of the monstrous Lake of Hali. From time to time, Carcosa becomes visible on the night sky of other worlds as a distinctively yellow star. And it is said Hastur's influence and power in  a specific world is the strongest when that yellow star shines the brightest. Carcosa, the yellow star, has another effect on any world it shines upon - Yellow Signs typically become active while it shines, acting as a conduit for the baleful magic of Hastur to seep into that world.

Hastur's Cult

Like many Great Old Ones, Hastur has cults of followers in most worlds. These cults primarely consist of nobles and aristrocats with a love for theater, opera and luxury, as well as of playwrights themselves. These people often grew bored with their life and started searching out increasingly deviant, bizarre methods to achieve satisfaction.

Hastur's temples are opulent opera houses, theaters or manors - usually the cult's worshipping of Hastur, including otherworldly rituals and forbidden tomes, is largely restricted to secret chambers or basements, while the buildings themselves are used for public entertainment. This allows Hastur's cultists to easily lure innocents into their fold, such as by giving performances or hosting large-scale parties and celebrations right when the Yellow Sign is about to become active - and once they are exposed to it, their bodies and minds can serve as gateways through which the King in Yellow itself might travel to the world.

Yellow Sign

The symbol of Hastur is the Yellow Sign, a rune or sigil scribed with yellow ink. There are some nonmagical, typically inaccurate, representations of it, but most of the time, when one sees a Yellow Sign, it already is too late - and its magic has already taken over their mind. While the King in Yellow has inscribed most Yellow Signs by itself, some more powerful cults got the power to recreate fully functional Yellow Signs bestowed upon them. Such a cult-created Yellow Sign can bear the same effects as one created by Hastur, although its effects are easier to resist with its saving throw DC being lower, depending on the power and influence of the cult that created it; it typically is somewhere within the range of 15 to 20.

Yellow Signs are generally used to spread Hastur's influence around the world, they serve as conduits for otherworldly magic from Carcosa. People are lured towards these signs by Hastur's cultists, just happen to be in the vicinity of a sign inscribed in a public location, and sometimes Hastur itself appears in their dreams, bestowing a madness upon them that makes them seek out a Yellow Sign at all cost. Ths typically happens to those which already have seen an active Yellow Sign before and suffered its effects.

While inactive, Yellow Signs are invisible, but their lingering magic can be detected by any ability that allows one to detect the presence of magic - however, doing so is enough to drive one mad. Maybe having accidentially come across a Yellow Sign while under the effect of a detect magic spell could be an explanation for the prevalence of mad mages in many worlds, who knows?

Previous Versions

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